The key to a good funeral is the quality of listening that the funerals director and funeral celebrant give to each family. We take great care to ensure that we learn about the person who has died and hear how all their close circle is doing. Then we can be helpful in discussions. Also, by talking about the person, family and friends form an impression of what a good funeral will be like.
Our latest shop window at 7 High Street (our windows have become something of a focal point in Totnes) is about listening. There’s some quotes from different people about listening and the oldest story about the power of listening, Innana, a 5500 year old Sumerian tale.
The Descent of Inanna to the Underworld
Written 5,500 years ago The Descent of Inanna is the first story to exemplify the power of listening.
The underworld was ruled by Inanna’s sister, Ereshkigal, who hates her. Inanna descends to attend her brother-in-law’s funeral. Before going, she dresses herself up in her finest clothing and instructs her messenger, Ninshubur, to plead her case with the gods if Inanna does not return in three days.
As Inanna travels through the gates of the Underworld, Ereshkigal instructs her attendants to remove Inanna’s jewellery and clothing as tolls at each of seven gates. Stripped naked before her sister’s throne, Ereshkigal and the underworld judges condemn Inanna to die for her foolishness in thinking she could return the Upper World. Ereshkigal then hangs her sister’s corpse on a meathook.
Inanna remains dead for three days. A god, Enki, agrees to rescue Inanna. He creates two beings from the dirt under his fingernails. They are professional mourners, capable of mirroring the lonely queen’s emotions. He sends them to retrieve Innana and sprinkle the food and water of life upon Inanna’s corpse.
When they entered the throne room, the two beings saw Ereshkigal in the throes of agony and reeling from the misery she has caused. The two listened to her and empathized with her pain. When she moans, they moan with her, appeasing her anguish by the echo of their concern, affirming her in her suffering.
When she said “Oh my heart”, they said to her “You are troubled, our mistress, oh your heart”. When she said “Oh my liver”, they said to her “You are troubled, our mistress, oh your liver”.
This made Ereshkigal feel better, and grateful that these two strangers would show her such a kindness, granted them anything they would like. Riches, lands, titles—anything could be theirs! But of course they didn’t want any of that, and asked for the corpse of Inanna hanging on the wall.
It was then that Ereshkigal, distracted by her pain and agony, realized what she had agreed to. But as word was law, she allowed the two demons to take her sister’s corpse and flee.
